Conventional electronic devices typically include a plurality of working or functional components all included within a single housing or casing. These components allow a user to interact with the electronic device. Some components of the electronic device include, for example, buttons, switches, screen displays and cameras. Each of these components may include portions that are visible or exposed on an outer surface of the electronic device, and may interact or may be in communication with portions of the component located within the electronic device. For example, the button may include a contact portion positioned on the outer surface of the electronic device, and may be in communication with internal portions that may interact with the electronic device and/or distinct components (e.g., processor) of the electronic device. In another example, a display and/or camera may include transparent windows that protect the components, but allow the components to be seen/be exposed to the exterior of the electronic device.
The components of the electronic device that are visible or exposed on an outer surface of the electronic device are typically coupled directly to the housing or include windows coupled directly to the housing. For example, the button may include a casing portion that is directly coupled to the housing, and the camera may include a window, positioned adjacent a camera lens, coupled directly to the housing. The components of the electronic device are typically coupled to the housing using an adhesive. More specifically, an adhesive is typically dispensed between the component and the housing to couple the component to the housing of the electronic device, and/or maintain the component within the housing during the operational life of the electronic device.
The reliance on adhesive alone to couple the components to the housing of the electronic device may cause operational issues. For example, over the operational life of the electronic device, the adhesive may wear or weaken. This may cause the component (e.g., button) or portions of the component (e.g., camera window) to become displaced or uncoupled from the housing of the electronic device. When the components become displaced or uncoupled from the housing, the electronic device may not function as intended or may not function at all.
In addition, the reliance on adhesive alone to couple the components to the housing of the electronic device may cause manufacturing issues. That is, when using adhesive to couple the components to the housing, it is typically required that the contact surfaces be treated in order to ensure adequate contact. More specifically, the contact surfaces of the component and the portion of the housing receiving the component may be planed, polished, and/or resurfaced in order to provide substantially flat contact surfaces free of defects formed during prior processing of the component (e.g., cutting, shaping). The treatment step of the contact surfaces adds time to the process of manufacturing the electronic device, especially, when the contact surfaces need to be treated multiple times and/or undergo multiple treatment processes.
These defects may be reduced, or eliminated, by providing additional cutting or shaping processes during the manufacturing of the components. However, these additional cutting or shaping processes tend to add time to the overall manufacturing process and, dependent on the material of the component, can increase cost as well. For example, where the component is made from corundum, commonly referred to as sapphire, additional cutting processes can be performed on the component to minimize the defects on the contact surface. However, because of sapphires hardness (e.g., 9.0 Mohs hardness scale), cutting the material can be difficult, time consuming and can result in rapid wear to the cutting tool. This rapid wear to the cutting tool may result in constant replacement and/or sharpening of the cutting tool during the manufacturing process.
The inclusion of adhesive to couple to the components to the housing of the electronic device may increase the cost of manufacturing based on the amount of adhesive used and/or the number of components that utilize adhesive within the electronic device. That is, the adhesive itself adds an additional component to the electronic device, which also increases the cost to manufacture the electronic device, and increases the manufacture time by the amount of time it takes to apply the adhesive to the component and/or the housing of the electronic device.
Additionally, the inclusion of adhesive to couple the components to the housing of the electronic device may require further processes in order to meet cosmetic requirements for the electronic device. For example, after adhesive is applied to couple components of the electronic device, a decorative ink may be applied to the electronic device to hide the adhesive between the components. That is, a decorative ink may be applied to a surface and/or component of the electronic device to substantially hide the adhesive, which may not be aesthetically or visually appealing. Similar to the adhesive above, the application of the decorative ink on an electronic device may increase the manufacturing time of the electronic device, as well as, increase the cost of manufacturing the electronic device.